PLYMOUTH, N.H.-The Music and Theatre Department of Plymouth State College has a new Department Chair. Dr. Jonathan Santore, Assistant Professor of Music and Theatre took over the position from Dr. Robert Swift, Professor in the Music and Theatre Department.
Dr. Santore has been teaching music theory and composition at PSC since 1994. “I’ll leave you to do the math,” Dr. Santore said. “I believe I’m starting my ninth year here.”
Growing up in eastern Tennessee until he was eighteen, Dr. Santore went on to Duke University where he completed his undergraduate work. He also received advanced degrees from universities in Texas and Los Angeles. “I have my Master’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin and my Doctorate is from UCLA,” said Dr. Santore.
Dr. Santore took the position of Department Chair after Dr. Swift stepped down. “When Dr. Swift announced that we was stepping down as Chair, faculty names were introduced into nomination,” explained Dr. Santore. “Mine was put into nomination as well as another. That person eventually withdrew from the process.”
Dr. Santore explained why he was willing to tackle the position. “As a music theory teacher, I am someone who works with every student in the music program and a great number of the students in the theatre program. People don’t usually come to a particular college or university as undergraduates to work with a theory teacher.” If the particular interest of the student is the saxophone, jazz, or music technology, then they come to study with Dr. Pfenninger. For those interested in music education for instruments, the students come to work with Dr. Corcoran. “If you’re a vocalist,” Dr. Santore explained, “you come to work with Dr. Arecchi and Dr. Perkins. By having me take this job, it doesn’t take one of them out of half their teaching load when students have come with a particular expectation to work with those people.”
As Chair of the Music and Theatre Department, Dr. Santore receives six credits of release time from teaching. “I usually carry a twelve credit teaching load a semester, but as Chair, I carry a six credit teaching load.”
“My main goal as Chair is to ensure communication, and it’s not something that I have to work very hard to do because it’s an incredibly strong faculty to be working with. We’re a very communicative faulty,” said Dr. Santore. He wants to ensure that all are working as a faculty to make decisions together about the continuing life of the department. “In other words,” Dr. Santore explained, “even though music is my specialty, I have a role in deciding the future of theatre in the department, I have a role in deciding the future of dance, and I want us all to be thinking that way; not just about our own discipline, but about all the disciplines.” Dr. Santore also said that Dr. Swift has put the department on a successful path and he hopes to continue that positive work. But, “it’s an incredibly hard act to follow.”
In the past, the Chair of the department handled the decision-making. “When I came in as Chair, we instituted a slightly new governance structure. Basically, we decided that Dr. Swift was just having to work too hard. Theoretically, most of the Chairs on campus are fifty percent time-jobs,” Dr. Santore explained. Instead of teaching twelve credits a semester, the Chair teaches six credits and takes the other time and devotes it to the Chair position. “Dr. Swift was basically doing a full-time job as Chair of the department and carrying his fifty percent teaching load. Because of the complexity of our department, we realized it was just a little too much for one person to carry.” The new governance structure creates Vice Chairs for each discipline: music, theatre, and dance. “Part of what we’ve been doing is working out that new process. Seeing who’s going to be in charge of what, what decisions have to come all the way up to me, what decisions can stop there at that level.”
Dr. Santore enjoys his new position. “I’m enjoying it because I enjoy working with people. I consider myself a people person, and what you have to do first and foremost as Chair of an academic department is work with individuals and enjoy working with individuals.” However, there is a downside. “The hardest part for me has been the fact that I was going to be removed from the classroom to some extent.”
However, someone was hired part-time to fill the void. “I think I’ve done a good job finding someone to take up some of the course work that I’ve lost and whose going to do a good job maintaining that for us,” explained Dr. Santore. The Music and Theatre Department is very specialized. “We have such a small faculty and deal with a such a large range of things, there is no one else in our department who can take up my course load.” Dr. Santore thinks he found a strong candidate, “and I’m hearing good things from the students so far.”
Dr. Santore said, “I have to admit that I was interested in exploring what the world of administering an academic department in the arts was like, and I appreciate the opportunity to get that.”